I read a paper today that kept using "multistrata" to describe an object with multiple layers. For example:

I love multistrata cakes.

This sounds wrong to my ear, I think "multistratum" sounds better, even though the plural of stratum is strata. Certainly "multilayer cakes" sounds better than "multilayers cakes", which is the analogue to "multistratum" and "multistrata".

3 Answers
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Your suggestion using stratum is logically sound, but unfortunately the reality is that it isn't totally consistent. With words that have clearly marked plurals, we can see that we use singular, e.g. multicolor. However, we also have words like the well-established multimedia. The pattern seems to fall apart sometimes in places where the plural is irregular. Not always, but sometimes. (I am sure that is very unsatisfying!)

Sorry for the ambiguity - the article I was reading used multistrata as an adjective for both singular and plural nouns. So it would say: I love one multistrata cake and several multistrata cakes!
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Bryan CatanzaroMar 5 '11 at 1:45